


Before It Crumbles Down

by BridgetMcKennitt



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Character Study, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2014-06-15
Packaged: 2018-02-04 19:43:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1790950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetMcKennitt/pseuds/BridgetMcKennitt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryuuji doesn't know where he's going, but he knows where he came from and who came with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before It Crumbles Down

Ryuuji hurried to his room, moving past his mother with an armful of books he didn't want her to notice. She was so busy managing the ryokan that it was easy for him to grab some books from the temple. His pops was nowhere to be found and Ryuuji had a goal. If his pops wasn't going to help return their temple to their former glory, then it was all up to him.

He dropped the books on the floor and sat down cross-legged. There were plenty of things he had to memorize in order to become an exorcist. He researched deeper into the True Cross Order once they had joined it and found out there were different types of meisters. The category he wanted to specialize in the most was to become an Aria. Ryuuji was already skilled in memorizing long passages from holy scriptures.

Then again, an exorcist who was only skilled as an Aria was defenseless against demons while they chanted. Ryuuji wasn't going to be defenseless, not like his good for nothing pops. He could double specialize in another skill. It wasn't common, but Ryuuji wasn't common.

Dragoons caught Ryuuji's attention as he stared at the open pages of the True Cross textbook he snagged from a member of the temple. They used modern weapons to exorcise demons instead of just ancient weapons. It appealed to him. Pops was too old school and if Ryuuji ever wanted his temple to regain its former glory, modernization would have to be accounted for. After all, pops had brought the sect into the fold of the True Cross Order.

Ryuuji nodded as if everything was settled. It would be hard work to become specialized in both Aria and Dragoon, but he could do it. He was going to defeat Satan, after all. What was a little hard work and extra studying?

He closed the textbook before pulling a holy scripture into his lap. It would be best to memorize some scripts for common demons before he applied to True Cross Academy. It was only a few years away, but it was worth it. He was going to be the youngest exorcist in the history of True Cross.

He was going to defeat Satan.

*

It was one thing to keep the secret of True Cross from his parents, not that it was hard, but it was another to keep that secret from his friends. The more Ryuuji thought about it, the more he wanted to tell Konekomaru and Shima so they'd join him at the Academy. They had all been affected by the events of Blue Night and Ryuuji knew in his heart that he couldn't stand alone against the forces of Satan.

He'd need help. He needed his friends.

Ryuuji found the two of them at Shima's house and dragged them to a quiet corner so none of their family members could overhear them. He couldn't risk anything getting back to his parents and risking them trying to stop him from going to the academy.

Konekomaru's jaw dropped open as Shima looked everywhere but Ryuuji.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Konekomaru. "It's going to be really hard to become an exorcist. You could even die while in training."

This time it was Shima's jaw that dropped open. "Die? I don't want to die! Please tell me you're not going to do this, Bon. We can all stay in Kyoto and-"

"And what?" Ryuuji asked, the words snapping out of him. "There's nothing for us here right now. Our temple is slowly dying and our elders are doing nothing to stop the decay. I have to do this. I want the two of you to come with me. I want to make a difference with my friends at my side."

"Why do you have to appeal to my consciousness?" Shima asked as he moaned. "Fine! Fine. I'll go with you to the academy. I don't even like school. Will there at least be pretty girls there to distract me?"

Konekomaru's gaze bounced between Shima and Ryuuji a few times before he sighed. "At least my parents will be thrilled to know I'm going to do something worthwhile. Okay, I'll apply to the academy. What area of exorcism are you going to study in?"

"Aria and Dragoon. It's a good combination for me." Ryuuji was pleased when his friends agreed with him. "I have a book with exorcist information on the True Cross Order and their academy."

Shima gestured dismissively. "There's no need. Konekomaru and I will learn how to be Arias. We've been chanting with you for years and we're not made for fighting demons up closer and personal. And it's not like I'm a Tamer or anything."

Konekomaru agreed. "Demons are terrifying."

Shima hung his arm around Konekomaru's shoulder. "That's why we have Bon. He'll protect us."

*

Ryuuji was tired deep down to his bones. Ever since he became an ExWire, it had been one demonic horror unleashed upon the world after another, and he and his friends were barely able to keep up. Ever since he was a young child, his dream was to defeat Satan and make sure Blue Night never happened again. He was going to use the prestige of such an impossible feat to entice followers for his temple. Yet how was he supposed to do that when he couldn't even see what was coming next.

He leaned back on his arms and stared at the bright lights of Kyoto. What was he going to do?

"Bon, you should get some rest."

Ryuuji turned his head to see Shima coming towards him. He nodded his head in greeting as Shima sat down next to him. "I can't sleep. There's so much evil in the world. It feels like they're all raising their serpent heads at the same time."

Shima nodded. "Probably. The son of Satan exists in the world though he's trying to become an exorcist. Maybe Gehenna is just responding to that. Who knows how demons think?"

Ryuuji snorted. It didn't make sense, but he felt a little better. "Maybe that's what's happening. It makes as much sense as anything at this point."

Shima clasped Ryuuji on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "Exactly. Now stop moping around, Bon, and get to bed. We have an assignment in the morning and we have to be at our best."

He got to his feet and offered Ryuuji his hand to help him up. Ryuuji took his hand and stood up.

"Do you know what the assignment is?" asked Ryuuji.

"Nope, but I bet it's going to be a pain."

Ryuuji glanced at Shima as they walked back inside the ryokan. He gently nudged him with his shoulder. "Have I ever told you how glad I am you and Konekomaru decided to come to the academy with me? I could have never done it alone."

"No worries! It's not like I had anything better to do." Shima grinned at him. "I'm here for you, not anything else."

There was a flicker of something else on Shima's face, but Ryuuji paid it no mind. It was just Shima being Shima.


End file.
